Fall in Northern California’s Mendocino County turns magical when the rains come and delectable varieties of edible mushrooms appear. Mendocino County is home to more than 3,000 mushroom varieties — including the rare candy cap mushroom, with its intense maple-syrup flavor and sweet fragrance — that grows only along the northern coast of California.

The pinnacle of mushroom season is Mendocino County’s annual Mushroom Festival (this year November 7th through 16th) but aficionados can enjoy mushroom-centric menus and mushroom picking excursions all season long, typically from October through January.

Ryane Snow, a member of the Mycological Society and a well-known local leader of mushroom identification walks, states, “As more people discover the health benefits of mushrooms, as well as how versatile and delicious they are to cook with, the interest in our festival is growing.”

During mushroom season, Ryane and others offer identification walks, and in addition to the precious candy cap, mushroom hunters can score black, white and golden chanterelles, meaty porcinis and earthy morels — or even the highly prized hedgehog mushroom.

But there’s really no need to forage for your own when Mendocino County’s celebrated local chefs take such pride in showcasing this bounty of the land. Mushroom-themed dinners are on offer everywhere — from bed and breakfasts to four-star restaurants.

See below for a sampling of the many activities and menus you will find during mushroom season when classes, mushroom walks, mushroom meals, museum exhibits and much more help you create your own Mendocino County mushroom adventure!

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

Mycoceuticals: The Healing Power of Medicinal Mushrooms
Mendocino Hotel – Mendocino Village, CA – 10:00 a.m.
PowerShroom mycologist Eric Cerecedes will give a mind-expanding overview of Medicinal mushrooms from traditional uses among ancient Asian cultures to modern clinical research by Western medicine. Call 800-548-0513 or visit www.mendocinohotel.com for more information.

Romancing the Funghi
Little River Inn – Little River, CA – 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
This is the fourth year for Little River Inn’s Romancing the Funghi event. It may seem as if romance and funghi would be an unlikely match, but Little River Inn’s Executive Chef, Marc Dym, and wine buyer, John Sverko, have come up with a romantic, intimate afternoon combining the romance of mushrooms and . . . beer. The two will pair locally foraged mushrooms with select brews from Fort Bragg’s North Coast Brewery. Call 888-466-5683 for reservations. Visit www.littleriverinn.com
as the event date draw to check out the menu.

Winemaker Dinner
Mendocino Hotel – Mendocino Village, CA – 6:00 p.m.
Participants enjoy fabulous local wines from the Mendocino Wine Company and Bonterra Vineyards, along with a five-course meal featuring local gourmet and medicinal mushrooms prepared by Drew Ison, Executive Chef at Mendocino Hotel. Organic and biodynamic wines discussion by Paul Dolan of Bonterra Vineyards. Hors D’Oeuvres at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Cost is $80 per person. To make a reservation, please call 800-548-0513. Check www.mendocinohotel.com as the event date draws near to see the actual menu.

Mushroom Ball
Crown Hall – Mendocino Village, CA – Time TBD
Dances with Funghi! Celebrate the Fourth Annual Mushroom Festival by dancing the night away at Crown Hall at the first ever Mushroom Ball! We’ll be featuring local funghi paired with local vintages and proceeds benefit the Mendocino Film Festival. Call 888-466-5683 for further information.

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

Mushroom Cooking Class
Albion River Inn Restaurant – Albion, CA – 11:30 p.m to 3:30 p.m.
Experience the creativity and passion of Executive Chef Stephen Smith as he educates and instructs participants about mushrooms in a demonstration-style format. Soak up the spectacular Mendocino Coast ocean views while you sip refreshments, chat with fellow participants, learn new techniques, and sample dishes in progress. Chef Smith welcomes questions about ingredients, techniques, kitchen tools, and cooking methods, and each participant receives a complete set of class recipes with step by step instructions. At the end of the class, participants enjoy a lavish mushroom-themed lunch prepared by Chef Smith. $75 per person, includes wine and cocktails. The class caps out at around 20 people, so make reservations early by calling 800-479-7944 or visiting www.albionriverinn.com/events.

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Wild Mushroom Winemaker Dinner
MacCallum House – Mendocino Village, CA – 6:30 p.m.
Don’t miss our 9th Annual Wild Mushroom Winemaker Dinner with Executive Chef Alan Kantor, mushroom expert Eric Schramm and winemaker Greg Graziano. Make advance reservations for our most popular event of the year. $100 per person, not including tax and gratuity. Cocktail hour begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. To make reservations call 707-937-0289. Check www.maccallumhouse.com as the event date draws near to see the detailed menu.

Friday, November 14th, 2008

Belgian Beer Dinner
Little River Inn – Little River, CA – 6:00 p.m.
Little River Inn reprises it’s Mushroom and Belgian Beer Dinner on Friday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m. Executive Chef Marc Dym will create five courses, all with mushrooms as the centerpiece. Each course is paired with the perfect imported Belgian beer selected by our beverage expert, John Sverko, who reminds us that, “Beer is to Belgium what wine is to France.” The earthiness of the mushrooms pairs well with Belgian beer, which is renowned for its subtlety and complexity. “We tasted 50 different Belgian beers for this event,” Sverko said, “It was rigorous, hard work.” (We bet!) Call 1-888-466-5683. Check www.littleriverinn.com as the event date draws near to see the actual menu.

Saturday, November 15th, 2008

From Forest to Table: A Mushroom Eco-Experience
Stanford Inn by the Sea – Mendocino, CA – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Join acclaimed mushroom expert Ryane Snow, Ph.D. as he delves into the often-hidden and fascinating world of mushrooms. Ryane will educate participants about the importance of mushrooms to the ecology of the forest, their medicinal properties, and their many uses in the world of gastronomy. Participants meet at the Stanford Inn, where they are given a brief, hands-on introduction to local funghi, followed by a 2-hour foraging walk in the woods, then back to the Stanford Inn for a tutorial on cleaning, prepping, and preparing mushrooms. The day culminates with a lunch featuring the bounty gathered that day! Class is limited to 30 people and is $45 per person. Call 800-331-8884 or visit www.stanfordinn.com to make a reservation.

A Wild Mushroom Celebration
Mendonesia Music Café – Willits, CA – 7 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
This charming organic café will be offering a special night of music and mushrooms.
Call for more information. 707-459-1001

Other Mendocino County mushroom menus include:

Mendo Bistro
Three-course mushroom-themed meal which includes appetizer, entrée and dessert ($35 per person) offered November and December 2008. www.mendobistro.com.
301 North Main Street | Fort Bragg, CA | 707-964-4974

Rendezvous Restaurant
Four-course mushroom tasting menu includes appetizer, soup, entrée, and chocolate truffles. $55 per person, or $90 with wine pairing. Offered October 2008 through January 2009.
647 North Main Street | Fort Bragg, CA | 800-491-8142

Ravens’ Restaurant
Six-course mushroom tasting meal offered November 1st through the 22nd. Includes amuse, soup, salad, appetizer, entrée, and dessert. $70 per person. Includes wine notes.
Stanford Inn by the Sea | Coast Hwy & Comptche Ukiah Rd | Mendocino, CA | 800-331-8884

Patrona Restaurant
Offering mushroom specials beginning Sunday, November 9th throughout the week, culminating with a dinner Saturday, November 15th, that will showcase local mushroom experts along with local musicians.
130 W. Standley Street | Ukiah, CA | 707-462-9181

Busters Sports Bar
Week long mushroom specials paired with brews from all over the world!
150 Main St. | Willits, CA | 707-459-3233

Additional mushroom-related events:

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens Mushroom Walks & Identification Workshops
At the splendid Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, mushroom identification walks are conducted every Monday at 1:30 p.m., beginning Nov. 17th through January 26th. The walks are free with paid admission to the gardens. Staff naturalist Mario Abreu will also be holding three mushroom identification workshops – Nov. 22nd, Nov. 29th, and Dec. 20th, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. $10 per class. Workshops are limited to 20 people. Reserve a spot by calling 707-964-4352 x 23 or visiting www.gardenbythesea.org.

The Ford Museum Mushroom Exhibit – Saturday, Nov. 15th & Sunday, Nov. 16th
Visitors to the coast will also want to know that The Ford House Museum, on Main Street in Mendocino Village, hosts a Mushroom Exhibit throughout the month of November. For more information call 707-937-5397.

Wine and Mushroom Train – Saturday, Nov. 15th
Ride the Skunk Train and participate in a special wild mushroom tour lead by local mushroom expert. The cost is $65 for adults and $25 for children. Depart from either the Fort Bragg or Willits Depot at 10 a.m. Call 800-866-1690 or visit www.skunktrain.com to reserve a spot on the train.

Lodging Specials:

Baechtel Creek Inn & Spa is offering a “mushroom” package which includes two night’s lodging, Train Tickets on the Wine & Mushroom Train, Special Wine & Mushroom dinner at the Purple Thistle for 2, and a Couple’s Massage! Please call 800 459 9911 for reservations. $635 per couple.

If you book at room at the Little River Inn between November 2nd and November 20th, 2008, Mushroom Mania Rates apply – only $155 per night plus tax for ANY available accommodation. Call 888-466-5683 for reservations.

Mendocino County, part of California’s famous North Coast wine region, begins about 90 miles north of San Francisco and is located directly north of Sonoma County. The county offers visitors a range of activities and accommodations for active lifestyles, romantic getaways, or regionally sourced food and wine experiences.

For more information on Mendocino County, call 866-782-9636 (866-STAY-MENDO), or visit www.gomendo.com. For specific information about events surrounding the Mushroom Festival, visit www.gomendo.com/events and search for “mushroom.”

While some mushrooms are highly coveted, others are harmful. Luckily, only two per cent of wild mushrooms in Colorado are poisonous, and they’re easy to identify, Windsor said. Still others are steeped in legend.

Such is the case with the amanita muscaria, a psychoactive mushroom with a red cap and white dots. Windsor said shamans in Eurasia believed urine containing the mushroom’s toxins attracted reindeer. The shamans would eat the mushrooms, save their urine, and use it during the winter months to attract reindeer, he said.

Tempted to try this at home? Don’t.

“It’s not a pleasant hallucinogenic,” Windsor said of the spotted mushroom. “So I wouldn’t recommend it for recreational use.”

If you would like to read the whole story, it is available online here at the Vail Daily.

In the North America, Amanita muscaria are native throughout all of the temperate and boreal regions. In addition, they have been transplanted by accident to many countries in South America. Look for them in forests with an abundance of birch, pine, cedar fir and spruce trees. Although they appear most frequently during the autumn, the seasonal variations depend on different climate zones. Whilst in the greatest areas of North America Amanita muscaria tend to pop up in summer and fall, in regions of the Pacific coast they appear later, in the late fall and early winter.

The most reliable way to find magic mushrooms, however, is through reputable online sources such as Bouncing Bear Botanicals.

For example, “In Sikkim , weary horses consume bitter tea leaves for added energy. Tired pack donkeys in Mexico graze on wild tobacco. During the war, Cambodian water buffaloes and antelopes increased their intake of opium poppies to overcome the stress of the hostilities. In Colombia, jaguars gnaw the bark of yaje, which locals believe, transports them to other worlds. In West Africa, wild boars dig for the hallucinogenic roots of iboga.” and “Bighorn sheep in the Canadian Rockies take great risks to nibble narcotic lichen.”

I was impressed by the amount of research that had to be done in order to create Ms. Gandhi’s enthralling article. I have only cited about half of the anecdotes she reported, leaving out references to birds, bears, bats and bugs who, from time to time, get high on one thing or another.

What I especially enjoyed, however, was the conclusion she drew at the end of her report regarding the reason why such a number of animals and birds use Mother Nature’s pharmacy. “I prefer the theory,” Ms.Gandhi said, “that many birds and animals simply enjoy getting stoned.”

It gives a whole new meaning to the old song that goes something like: “Birds do it, so let’s do it.”

I’ll drink to that. Or ingest some Amanita muscaria mushrooms, perhaps.

The complete column by Maneka Gandhi can be found online at http://bihartimes.com/newsbihar/2008/July/newsbihar02July1.html

When I went back the next day, they were gone. Someone had taken them. But, nearby, was a larger patch of the same kind of mushroom. This time I had my camera with me, so I took these pictures. They sure look similar, but the tops seem to be flatter and less cone-shaped than I would have expected them to be.

But now I was now in a dilemma. How could I tell for certain if they were actually Amanita muscaria mushrooms, and not a look-alike that might be dangerous? Could I take pictures of them and show them to a mycologist? Could a mushroom expert know just from the pictures if they were Amanita muscaria or not?

Eventually I decided that it would be much safer and less of a chore simply to buy Amanita muscaria mushrooms from a reliable source, like Bouncing Bear Botanicals, rather than risking the dangers that could come with not being able accurately to identify mushrooms growing in the wild.

Nevertheless, it was wonderful to see these large, colorful mushrooms growing so close to my home. I wonder who picked the other ones and what they did with them. Anyway, I am happy to share these pictures. If anyone can help me by saying for certain what kind of mushrooms they are, please let me know. It would be great to know that Amanita muscarias grow so close to where I live.